Basic Building Blocks of Success in Plumbing

DIY plumbing repair appears to be an efficient and money-saving at first, but it can turn into the exact opposite especially when you don’t really know what you’re doing. Some repairs are easy indeed for examples replacing a faucet, cleaning the shower drain trap, or unclogging kitchen sink. Other problems such as cleaning the P-trap, replacing broken pipes, or connecting dishwasher to the kitchen sink is significantly more difficult and best left professional plumbers. Many (if not most) DIY plumbers actually end up calling a professional anyway because they make more mess than when they started. Lack of understanding on how plumbing systems work leads to bigger issues that cost more money to repair. Assuming they call professional in the first place, they don’t need to waste time and more money than they should.

Warranty

Another thing to consider when repairing water fixtures or any other plumbing products is warranty. A lot of companies offer warranty against manufacturing defects and even malfunctions for a limited time. You can notice any defects as soon as you receive the products, but it can take weeks or months to detect signs of malfunction. Those companies will not honor warranty unless you call a licensed professional plumber to do the repairs. If you try to fix it, warranty is void. In case the products (e.g. faucet, dishwasher, pipes, garbage disposal, water heater, etc) need replacement, you will want to use the warranty offer.

Problems with DIY

No matter how small or easy the plumbing task is, it still takes times and efforts. Most people may assume that it will take about an hour or two for simple repair, but it can go way beyond that for DIYers. The problem is that they must learn about the procedures first, watch a number of instructional videos, read user manuals on the tools, and then start the job. Even then, they will go back and forth between the job and instructional videos. A professional can start to work right away and complete the task in less than an hour, compared to a DIYer who needs more than 2 hours only to learn the basics. If you can make $30 an hour and spend 5 hours to repair a leaking faucet, hiring professional plumbing service is best.

Safe Repair

The most efficient way to repair your plumbing problem is by calling professional plumbing service. Only choose a licensed and insured company to make sure you get the best service. All plumbers need to undergo multiple training courses before they are considered professionals. In many states, plumbers are required to acquire license and purchase insurance as well. When a plumber is licensed, he has met all the necessary requirements and standards set by the authorities.

Just like everything else in your house, plumbing installation and water fixtures are subjects to wear and tear. Drainage system also tends to accumulate dirt and debris from wastewater, so it will eventually clog regardless of how careful you are; intensity of the problem, however, is lessen with some preventive measures. One of the trickiest parts with plumbing is that sometimes you cannot tell if certain symptoms are normal issues or indications of bigger problems. In times of plumbing emergency, DIY-repairs are not always good ideas. You may feel inclined to try fixing it yourself, but hiring professional plumbing service is better for many reasons.

Time efficient: unless you are overly prepared for plumbing emergencies, chances are you don’t have the right tools at the right place when problems occur. It takes time and efforts to diagnose the problems, pinpoint the culprits, and get the equipments necessary for the repairs. A professional plumber always anticipates potential issues after you explain the situation on the phone and brings proper equipment for the job. It can save you hours of hassles.

Proper methods: most DIY repairs are based on the idea that everything does not have to be exactly the same as it was before the damage. Well, this is probably true in some cases, but plumbing is not one of them. There are building codes and health & safety concerns to consider. Proper repair jobs make sure that you still get good supply of clean water, adequate amount of pressure, and trouble-free drainage. Professional plumbers can also prevent recurrent problems.

Infrastructure preservation: in the event of major issues such as broken pipes or overflow, invasive repairs are probably necessary. Professional plumbers avoid invasive repair whenever possible and try to detect the issues using a specialty device called sewer camera. Once the locations of the damaged points are found, they focus on those spots without disturbing other areas. It eliminates unnecessary restoration jobs afterwards.

Professional-grade equipment: many will argue and say that you can rent heavy-duty plumbing equipment from hardware stores. It is not only about having the equipment, but also knowing how to use them. There is a reason why some tools are called professional-grade: because they are meant to be used by professionals. They understand how to operate the tools properly and troubleshoot malfunctions; most importantly, they know which tools to use for any particular problem.

Bottom line, hiring professional plumbing service is more efficient in terms of both time and money. Hire only licensed, insured, and reputable providers to get the best possible service without worries.

Hiring a Professional

Plumbing is a complex part of a house. It consists of numerous water fixture installations, an elaborate network of pipes, and a lot of things that can go wrong. Should a problem happen, as complicated as it may seem, you can easily find information on the Internet on how to fix it. People have been sharing their plumbing issues and DIY repair methods for many years, so there is a good chance you will come across similar issues and read about them in no time. With money-saving benefits in mind, some people are reluctant to call professional plumbers to repair their faucets, unclog a kitchen sink, install a garbage disposal, configure air gap, and what have you. In reality, however, hiring a professional plumber is a better money-saving method.

Professional plumbers can help you save money because they give you permanent solution of any problem you have. They take care of plumbing issues seriously to get rid of the current problem and prevent the same thing from happening again in the future. Before the repair starts, you can even as the plumber to do a thorough check for other damages as well for examples leaking, clogging, and more. Based on the analysis, all small problems (that potentially lead to severe damages) will be addressed accordingly before it is too late.

Go for Proper Solution

A damaged fixture is not always repairable, so the only way to make it work again is by installing a new one. DIY mentality calls for easy quick repair; as long as the fixture works again, the job is considered done. On the other hand, professional plumbers can explain why the fixture is no longer repairable and replacement is necessary. Even when the damage does not look like a total loss, it can lead to bigger issues affecting more crucial parts of the plumbing systems such as P-trap under the sink or main drain line. In this situation, DIY repair certainly comes as the more affordable option, but it does not mean the problem has actually been resolved. If anything, the repair only forces the fixture to work harder than it can handle and it will end up ruining more parts, hence expensive repairs.

Conclusion

Doing plumbing tasks without sufficient knowledge and experience is risky. Please remember that plumbing is more than just about water supply and drain system, but it also affects health. Improper wastewater management in the house leads to unsanitary environment for you and your family. Clogging in the kitchen or toilet overflow is not something you should take lightly; plumbing repairs are jobs best left to professional plumbers.